The Mad Phoenix 1997
南海十三郎
A Cantonese librettist enjoys immense popularity over the course of decades, followed by decline.
Vocabulary
Filter the words you want to study before watching.
| 仪态万千 儀態萬千 | graceful in a thousand ways (idiom); displaying every kind of elegance and charm | Idiom |
| 衣香鬓影 衣香鬢影 | lit. perfumed clothes and shadowed temple-hair (idiom); fig. an assembly of elegantly dressed women; a glamorous gathering | Idiom |
| 五马分尸 五馬分屍 | lit. to tear a body apart with five horses (idiom); fig. dismemberment as a brutal execution; to be torn limb from limb | Idiom |
| 摇头摆脑 搖頭擺腦 | to shake one's head and wag one's brains (idiom); to look pleased with oneself; smug and self-satisfied; to recite with affected airs | Idiom |
| 大仁大义 大仁大義 | of great benevolence and righteousness (idiom); supremely kind and honorable | Idiom |
| 鼎足而三 鼎足而三 | lit. to stand like the three legs of a tripod (idiom); a tripartite balance of power; three rivals in equilibrium | Idiom |
| 青出于蓝 青出於藍 | lit. blue is made from indigo (idiom); fig. the student surpasses the master; the apprentice outdoes the teacher | Idiom |
| 不可限量 不可限量 | limitless (idiom); boundless; (of potential or prospects) immeasurable | Idiom |
| 锦绣河山 錦繡河山 | lit. brocade rivers and mountains (idiom); fig. the beautiful land of one's country | Idiom |
| 牛头马面 牛頭馬面 | lit. Ox-Head and Horse-Face (idiom); two guards of the underworld in Chinese mythology; fig. evil-looking people; ugly thugs | Idiom |
| 科班出身 科班出身 | professionally trained (idiom); having had formal, orthodox training in one's field | Idiom |
| 一举成名 一舉成名 | to become famous in one stroke (idiom); to win instant fame; to make one's name overnight | Idiom |
| 岂有此理 豈有此理 | how can this be so? (idiom); preposterous; ridiculous; absurd | Idiom |
| 美中不足 美中不足 | everything is fine except for one small defect (idiom); the fly in the ointment | Idiom |
| 倾家荡产 傾家蕩產 | to lose a family fortune (idiom) | Idiom |
| 大名鼎鼎 大名鼎鼎 | grand reputation; renowned; famous | Idiom |
| 走投无路 走投無路 | to be at an impasse (idiom); in a tight spot; at the end of one's rope; desperate | Idiom |
| 一塌糊涂 一塌糊塗 | muddled and completely collapsing (idiom); in an awful condition; complete shambles; a total mess | Idiom |
| 爱不释手 愛不釋手 | (idiom) to like sth so much that one is reluctant to put it down; to find sth utterly irresistible | Xiehouyu |
| 神气 神氣 | expression; manner; vigorous; impressive; lofty; pretentious | Xiehouyu |
| 吹牛 吹牛 | to talk big; to shoot off one's mouth; to chat (dialect) | Xiehouyu |
| 捣乱 搗亂 | to disturb; to look for trouble; to stir up a row; to bother sb intentionally | Xiehouyu |
| 活该 活該 | (coll.) serve sb right; deservedly; ought; should | Xiehouyu |
| 宰 宰 | to slaughter; to butcher; to kill (animals etc); (coll.) to fleece; to rip off; to overcharge; (bound form) to govern; to rule; (bound form) (a title for certain government officials in ancient China) | Colloquialism |
| 扯 扯 | to pull; to tear; (of cloth, thread etc) to buy; to chat; to gossip; (coll.) (Tw) ridiculous; hokey | Colloquialism |
| 娘 娘 | mother; young lady; (coll.) effeminate | Colloquialism |
| 家伙 傢伙 | household dish, implement or furniture; domestic animal; (coll.) guy; chap; weapon | Colloquialism |
| 打岔 打岔 | interruption; to interrupt (esp. talk); to change the subject | |
| 籍贯 籍貫 | one's native place; place of ancestry; registered birthplace | |
| 一个劲儿 一個勁兒 | erhua variant of 一个劲; continuously | |
| 踏上 踏上 | to set foot on; to step on or into | |
| 痴心 痴心 | infatuation | |
| 香油 香油 | sesame oil; perfumed oil | |
| 出山 出山 | to leave the mountain (of a hermit); to come out of obscurity to a government job; to take a leading position | |
| 蚊帐 蚊帳 | mosquito net | |
| 阎王 閻王 | (Buddhism) Yama, the King of Hell; (fig.) cruel and tyrannical person | |
| 伯母 伯母 | wife of father's elder brother; aunt; (polite form of address for a woman who is about the age of one's mother) | |
| 海运 海運 | shipping by sea | |
| 退让 退讓 | to move aside; to get out of the way; to back down; to concede | |
| 骨气 骨氣 | unyielding character; courageous spirit; integrity; moral backbone | |
| 荡漾 盪漾 | to ripple; to undulate; also written 荡漾 | |
| 浩劫 浩劫 | calamity; catastrophe; apocalypse | |
| 出道 出道 | to start one's career; (of an entertainer) to make one's debut | |
| 指教 指教 | to give advice or comments | |
| 包庇 包庇 | to shield; to harbor; to cover up | |
| 下海 下海 | to go out to sea; to enter the sea (to swim etc); (fig.) to take the plunge (e.g. leave a secure job, or enter prostitution etc) | |
| 不得而知 不得而知 | unknown; unable to find out | |
| 气派 氣派 | impressive; stylish; magnificent; imposing manner; dignified air | |
| 放水 放水 | to turn on the water; to let water out; (sports) to throw a game | |
| 世代 世代 | for many generations; generation; era; age |